UK casino accuses US poker star Ivey of cheating at baccarat

A casino group has accused U.S. professional poker star Phil Ivey of cheating at baccarat and won't pay his claimed multimillion dollar winnings.

The Associated Press

LONDON — A casino group has accused U.S. professional poker star Phil Ivey of cheating at baccarat and says the alleged scam means they don't have to pay his claimed multimillion dollar winnings.

The Genting Group said in court papers filed Tuesday that Ivey and an accomplice used an elaborate scam to run up roughly 7.8 million pounds ($11.9 million) in tainted winnings that will not be honored.

The accusation raises questions about the integrity of Ivey, who at 37 is one of the world's most highly regarded poker players. The phenomenally successful player has won numerous World Series of Poker Championship bracelets.

Ivey issued a statement through his lawyers Wednesday denying the allegations "in the very strongest of terms."

The casino group was responding to a lawsuit filed in Britain's High Court last month by Ivey in which he said he is owed the 7.8 million pounds. He claimed to have won the money at the venerable Crockfords casino in August. Crockfords is part of the Genting Group.

Ivey said in his statement that he was aware of the casino's allegations before he filed his lawsuit.

"The fact that I have issued a lawsuit in the face of what they are alleging says everything about how comfortable I am with my conduct and the validity of my win," he said.

The casino group said in the court papers that Ivey's claim is "based upon illegal acts" that void his claimed winnings. It said he was able to have a "significant advantage" over the casino by using improper means to determine whether the first card being dealt in the baccarat hands would be a powerful or weak card, allowing him to place his bets accordingly.

The court papers claim that Ivey was able to increase the size of his bets "substantially" once the scam had started to work.

The Genting Group is based in Malaysia and has a significant presence in the U.K., including Crockfords, one of Britain's oldest casinos.